Curriculum Reform:
The Danish Approach
Frederik Pedersen
Danish Tertiary Education
Universities
– Copenhagen (1479)
– Århus (1928)
– Odense (1964)
• University Centres
– Roskilde Universitetscenter (1972)
– Ålborg Universitetscenter (1974).
• Having amalgamated with SBI (”The State Building
Research Institute”) known as Ålborg University
since 1998
Main points of the Danish system
• A prominent feature of Danish university
education is the high level of student
involvement in the planning of individual
curricula and the focus on individual
performance.
– The course coordinator will normally hand out a
suggested reading list, but students are encouraged
to submit individual reading lists for each exam.
• These reading lists meet certain objective criteria regarding
length and composition and are individually examined and
signed off by a member of faculty (who normally also will set
the exam question).
– E.g. Both History and English require a minimum of 1200 pages
to be read (only allowing 200 pages for a monograph).
Roskilde Universtetscenter
• A radical departure for its time
– Based on the concept of Broad
Interdisciplinarity, problem/project-oriented
teaching, team work, and group (rather than
individual) evaluation.
• The Centre was controversial among politicians in
the seventies and eighties. Among the criticisms
raised was the Location (the Social Democrats
wanted a university in Ålborg), its modus operandi,
its scientific level and its left-wing politics.
Roskilde Universitetscenter
• All students take a two-year Basis-uddannelse
(foundation-course).
– There are three of these: Science, Social Science,
and Humanities
– Half of the students’ first two years of study is taken
up with Problem-oriented projects and the writing of
joint papers in these projects. Oral exams are used to
grade individual candidates
• For more information in English see
http://www.ruc.dk/humbas_en/. An English version of the text
of the legislation covering the curriculum is on
http://www.ruc.dk/humbas_en/doc/
• Information on the Sciences is on
http://www.ruc.dk/ruc_en/studying/list/bsc/
Ålborg University (Centre)
• Ålborg University focuses on interdisciplinary,
inter-faculty studies
– an experimental curriculum based on an
interdisciplinary basic course with later specialization;
– a pedagogical structure based on problem-centred,
real-life projects of educational and research
relevance - which internationally has become known
and recognized as The Aalborg Experiment or The
Aalborg Model.
• With the problem-based, project-organized model, a great
part of a semester’s teaching and student work revolves
around complex “real-life” problems which the students
analyse and investigate. Most of these projects are executed
by groups of students and examined in these groups who all
share the same mark for their performance.
A Sample Curriculum
• The following three slides outline the History curriculum
for Copenhagen University
– I have chosen Copenhagen because it is the the most traditional
and conservative Danish university in terms of its curriculum.
• However, the history Curriculum allows students to compose their
own curriculum within well-defined boundaries and to conduct interdisciplinary research from their second year.
• Copenhagen also maintains a strong quality control in core
elements of the curriculum by allowing multiple resits of all courses
(but the core Methodology course in particular).
• An absolute standard (not a ”bell-curve”) is imposed in the
Methodology course.
– Although the introduction of an ”absolute standard” may initially
discourage students, the Experiance of the Medieval Centre in Toronto
shows that such a bar eventually (within five-ten years) attracts highquality students
Copenhagen University
•
An example: History Curriculum
– 1st year:
• Introduction to literature and information gathering (12.5 %)
– Evaluation: ”small asssignments” in three subjects
• Introduction to Danish History (25 %)
– Duration: 3 hours of seminars per week for two terms
– Reading: a set of compulsory texts is provided by the course convener
– Evaluation: three 5-6 page essays and an oral presentation or a written 6 hour exam with study
aids. The Student answers 3 out of 5 essay questions composed by the internal examiner.
• Introduction to World History (25 %)
– Duration: 3 hours of seminars per week for two terms
– Reading: a set of compulsory texts is provided by the course convener
– Evaluation: as above.
• Special area subject I (37.5 %): Danish or World History
– Duration: 4 hours of seminars per week for two terms
– Reading: 1200 pages read, 1/3 introductory texts, 2/3 focussed on two individual problems.
Reading may be reduced by work in lieu (oral presentation or practice essay: this is left to the
discretion of the coordinator)
– Evaluation: 6 hour written exam or 30-minute oral exam
» The student may be choose 1-hour preparation for the oral exam in which case the
student must give a fifteen minute presentation to be followed by 10 minute discussion.
”Un-prepared” students are examined on the basis of a 30-minute dialogue with the
examiner.
Copenhagen University
• An example: History Curriculum
– 2nd year:
• Historical method (25 %)
– Duration: 4 hours a week for two terms
– Evaluation: 48 hours before the exam the candidate is gven a dossier of 25-30
pages of original historical sources (including non-written sources). In addition,
these texts have a written introduction and scholarly aparatus. The candidate
answers one essay question in 8.5 hours (but is given a further 1.5 hours lunch
break). The question is handed out at the beginning of the exam.
•
Special Area Subject II: World or Danish History (25 %)
– Duration: 3 (in the first term) and 4 hours (in the second term) for two terms
– Evaluation: Either an essay (of 10-15 pages @ 2400 type units) or a 6-hour
written exam or a 30-minute oral exam
• Two subjects chosen from the Lecture catalogue (50 %)
» The candidate can choose to take relevant courses from other departments
– Duration: 4 hours a week for two terms
– Evaluation: usually one essay (topic to be agreed with the coordinator)
Copenhagen University
• An example: History Curriculum
– 3rd year:
• Introduction to Economic and Political History
(25 %)
– Duration: 4 hours per week for two terms
– Reading: 1200 pages (450 pp. for economics, 300 pp for the history of political
ideas, 150 pp for politics, 2 x 150 pp for interdisciplinary project work in the three
subjects [economics, ideas and politics])
– Evaluation: 6 hour exam with study aids: the Student is examined on an analysis
of an unprepared 5-page text
• Project (25%)
– Duration: 2 hours per week for two terms
– Evaluation: The student works independently on a chronological or thematic
theme. The student composes a 30 page essay analysing a problem of their own
choice.
» NB: the student cannot sit this exam without having passed the exam in
methodology.
• Two subjects chosen from the Lecture catalogue (50 %)
» The candidate can choose to take relevant courses from other departments
– Duration: 4 hours a week for two terms
– Evaluation: usually one essay (topic to be agreed with the coordinator)
Conclusions
• The Danish system empowers students by placing responsibility for
the composition of studies with the student from the beginning
– The student is thus taught how to approach literature search, planning
and execution of an academic project.
• The Danish system allows for finding the subject(s) that are
particularly suited for the student’s talents.
– Students often cross departmental barriers:
• E.g. students of medieval history have no problems taking Latin, diplomatics,
codicology, theology, or courses in legal history (at the law department).
• The Danish system allows problem-oriented group work and group
examinations.
– This particular transferable skill prepares students for the dynamics of
team-work that they will encounter in their professional lives.